Musical: Mystery Of Edwin Drood, The
Song: Jasper's Confession
Jasper:
I will not lie:
I wished Ned to die.
Twice dead am I…
A man could split in twain
Yet to all eyes remain
A soul genteel who can conceal the venom in his brain.
And if he draws upon the pause in madness,
Opium smoke supplies—
Why this great surprise?
There are two men in me,
And cunning bright is he
Who hides himself, resides himself where I’ve no eyes to see!
But now I think he’s at the brink of breaking through the door—
I’m in! He’s out!
I’m out! He’s free!
I’m free! I’m free once more!
How many times I’ve killed that Drood upon my flights,
My flights that burst the smug presumption of his rights,
His rights, as e’er his rights to share my Rosa’s bed;
It took no smoke for me to picture Edwin dead!
That night I poured them both deep cups of laudanum,
And then to toast my Ned and Neville I drank some.
That’s when my greatest flight of fancy did take place,
I watched my hand outstretched towards Edwin’s pale white face—
And in the moonfall,
I saw my fingers
Clutching his neck so tightly,
Touching his sleeve,
He fell so lightly…
Moonfall then fell on me.
But God, the deed was much too easily done,
As much as over once it had begun.
Such tragedy to finally make the kill,
And not to awake to taste the thrill.
Now I’ve confessed—
Now we both can rest!
